Interiors

Trowel-Applied Membranes

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A.Contributing editor Michael Byrne, a tile setter and consultant in Los Olivos, Calif., responds: I started using sheet-membrane materials in the early 1970s and was an early adopter when NobleSeal TS came on the market. Today, I still use TS, but I use liquid — or trowel-applied — membranes as well. And by the way, liquid-applied membranes are not exactly new — their use by first-century Roman tile installers is well documented.

Since I tend to upgrade from the tile industry’s minimum standards, I generally use liquid systems designed for continuous immersion — rather than value-engineered materials that offer only limited water-shedding protection. When I have a choice, I prefer to use Bonsal’s B-6000 and its companion reinforcing fabric for waterproofing. I also use...